[M17x R2] Can I upgrade this laptop ?

Hi everybody !

I'm the owner of a m17x R2 Nebula Red laptop since txo years now. I wan this laptop in a Blizzard World Contest about Starcraft 2 !

But i'm not a hardcore gamer, i use the laptop especially for 3D graphic design (my job).

Here is my stuffs :
-i7 620m (need quad)
-Crossfire 5870 2x1GB (nice but NVIDIA is my preference)
-2x320GB Scorpio Black 7200rpm
-1440x900 Glossy Display Screen (the worst thing I choosed on my laptop...)
-2x4GB DDR3 RAM


I want to upgrade this, but I know the R2 version begins to be limited at this point. For example I can't put 16GB RAM because 8GB is the most supported by the 620m CPU... So i have to change lot of components.

-i7 3720QM (the socket is pga988, like the 620m, so is it possible ?)
-2x8GB DDR3 RAM (1333mHz, with the new i7 the R2 can support 16GB of RAM)
-GTX 670MX 3GB DDR5 (I read lot threads about R2 compatibilty with SLI (gtx 580m and 680m) but i want just one graphic card for the moment)
-1920x1200 RGB LED Matte Finish Dislplay Screen
-mSATA 128GB Crucial m4 SSD (I don't know if it's possible ?)

I 'm looking for some help to know if my upgrade is unthinkable or not ?

Thanks

 

Hi Mickaelb91! and welcome, the i7 3720qm unfortunately, would not be compatible with R2. CPU wise, the R2 is limited at most to either the 920 or 940xm. As for the ram, only some brand are supported by the R2 for 16gb configuration. Otherwise, the res is upgradeable

 

Very disappointed :/ I believe R2 arrives at its limits, thinking about sell it :s

mSATA is compatible with R2 version you think ?

 

No the R2 is not compatible with mSATA SSDs. Adunno if anyone has tested a 670MX.

 

670MX works ok, will be trying sli after Christmas.

 

Sure you could upgrade. Although you have lots of upgrading to do!

CPU: i7-720qm/740qm/820qm/840am/920xm/940xm -- Ideally the XM for first gen i7. First gen mobile core i's have very low clocks by default and only the XM can hope to keep pace with the bottom SB/IB i7s via throttlestop
GPU: Not sure about SLI but single cards: 670MX, 675M, 680M, 7970M
RAM: Will do 2x8GB once your on a i7
Display: Your dead on, although not sure if its matte tbh!
SSD: There's no mSATA in the R2 I believe. Although you have 2 drives slots for standard 2.5" 9.5mm

Honestly with having to upgrade CPU/GPU/RAM/Display AND SSD. I personally think you'd be better off selling the system because of costs - if it has any Dell warranty left, would help the resell a little. Then getting a system with a modern i7. Now if your like me and would only be able to upgrade 1-2 parts every other month then this may be a toss up

 

TBH if you are doing all those upgrades, you could consider buying a new unit with half the upgrades already, the 1200p LCD is ~250-350 depending if it it used vs new. The MXM cards are $$$ 400+, cheapest 920XM on eBay right now is like 400+ dollars for a QS version, 940XM is like 600+.

 

I understood... too old already :/ I believe i'll buy a thinkpad or a clevo, it's the best for me. (quadro graphic cards)

 

I'll be eagerly awaiting this! By the way, the GTX 670MX is 75watts, right? Am currently scouting a nice GPU upgrade for my R2 also.

I'm guessing that selling might be a more viable option in this case as it would cost quite a lot to place an RGB-LED screen on this R2.

 

How did it go with the 670MX in SLI